Category Archives: Wildlife

Fish, Salmon, Wildlife

Federal Project Aims To Increase Salmon, Trout In American River

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Gravel, sand and rocks are being sorted and washed along the American River – preparing the area for salmon and trout.

It’s a huge federal project underway with a plan to increase the number of salmon and trout.

So who’s footing the bill, and how much does it cost?

About a mile west of Sunrise Boulevard is where workers are cleaning and sorting rocks getting the river primed for salmon. Heavy construction equipment traverses the banks of the American River at Sacramento Bar four miles downstream from Nimbus Dam.

“They’ll be habitat in here for the small fish. We’ll put wood in here and some willows growing up,” said John Hannon, a fish biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation.

This federally backed program has a mission: a home makeover for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.

“The existing gravel is too large for the fish to use in this area, so this new gravel is smaller and the fish will be able to reproduce successfully,” Hannon said.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the number of spawning fish here has been on the decrease since early 2000.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Old pipe removal requires less American River flow

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Flows on the American River will be lower and rafting will be excluded one morning later this month to allow for removal of an old water pipe.

The Carmichael Water District on Sept. 13 will take away concrete debris from the south side of the river and remove an existing 33-inch steel water pipeline crossing the river just upstream from Ancil Hoffman Park.

Flows are scheduled to be reduced from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 1,000 cubic feet per second starting in the morning and continuing through 2 p.m. Sept. 13. The old pipeline is in the river but is partially exposed.

“This removal of the old pipeline is one the things we are most excited about – to restore the river to its original condition,” said Chris Nelson, Carmichael Water District spokesman.

Also beginning at dawn and continuing until about 1 p.m., watercraft launching in the water will be prohibited beginning at Rossmoor Bar and at other upstream access points, including at Sunrise Boulevard. The watercraft prohibition between those points is needed for safety reasons due to heavy equipment being used that day to remove the pipeline.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fish, History, News from Other Watersheds, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

California high court upholds ban on dredges to extract gold

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California’s ban on the use of suction dredges to extract gold from rivers is legal and not overridden by a 19th century federal law that allows mining on federal land, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The court’s unanimous decision was a victory for environmentalists and a blow to miners, who argued that the ban essentially stopped gold mining because doing it by hand is labor intensive and makes the enterprise unprofitable.

Environmentalists say suction dredge mining risks killing fish and stirring up toxic mercury.

The high court’s ruling came in an appeal of a criminal case in which miner Brandon Rinehart was convicted of a misdemeanor for suction dredge mining without a permit in 2012 and sentenced to three years of probation.

Associate Justice Kathryn Werdegar, writing for the court, said the federal Mining Law of 1872 did not guarantee a right to mine free from regulation.

Instead, its goal was to protect miners’ property rights involving the federal land to which they laid claim, she said.

“The mining laws were neither a guarantee that mining would prove feasible nor a grant of immunity against local regulation, but simply an assurance that the ultimate original landowner, the United States, would not interfere by asserting its own property rights,” she wrote.

Rinehart’s attorney, James Buchal, said the high court showed a “casual disregard” for federal law.

He said Rinehart would likely ask the court to review its ruling or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Suction dredges are powerful underwater vacuums that suck up rocks, gravel and sand from riverbeds to filter out gold.

More at USNews.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Events, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Great American River Clean Up – Saturday, September 17th 2016

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Great American River Clean Up – Saturday, September 17th 2016 from 9am-12pm

Great American River Clean Up Sep 20, 2014 2015 RESULTS:

25 sites cleaned.
1,550 volunteers participated.
20,000 lbs. of trash removed.

Come join us for our annual Great American River Clean Up! Bring your coworkers, neighbors, friends and family. Help us reach our goal of 2,000 volunteers!

There are 20+ Clean Up locations spanning the Parkway.
Click here for a map of Clean Up locations.
Click here for driving directions.

Click HERE to Register!

For more information please do not hesitate to contact the ARPF office at (916) 486-2773, or send email to volunteer@arpf.org.

Bike Trail, Boating, History, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Natomas Levee Project Ready To Begin

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the go-ahead to begin a nine-part levee-improvement project for the Natomas Basin in Sacramento.

The final documents required for the project have been signed and the Army Corps will put the first section of levee repair out to bid this fall. The levees are part of a system that diverts watershed runoff into the American River.

John Hogue is the project manager for the corps. He says each of the nine repair projects is called a “reach” and includes construction of a cutoff wall to prevent seepage. He says each reach project will present its own set of obstacles.

More at CapRadio.org >>>

Boating, safety, Water, Wildlife

Low lake level prompts reduced speed limit on Folsom Lake

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There’s plenty of summer left, but the season for boating at Folsom Lake is getting cut short because of low lake levels.

Starting Monday, the maximum speed limit for boaters and other watercraft will be reduced to 5 miles per hour [mph].

“It’s very early, and it’s sad,” boater Darrell Perry said. “It feels unfair because it’s our water here. We’re getting penalized for it.”

According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the speed limit is necessary because the low water level has brought rocks and debris in the lake closer to the surface, and boats are in danger of being scratched, or worse, in shallow areas.

Many experienced boaters aren’t happy about their season being cut short. Jeff Kirsten has been water skiing at Folsom Lake for 20 years. As a water skier, Kirsten said the best time for him to practice his sport is during the later month, but the reduced speed limit would keep him from doing so.

“Trying to ski, it gets very hard when you’re in the peak season and lots of boats are cutting up the water,” Kirsten explained. “I like September, even October. Much better opportunity to water ski and not just pull inner tubers around.”

He decided to write an email to the Department of Parks and Recreation questioning the need for the reduced speed limit. Kirsten believes boaters should boat at their own risk.

“If I hit something, that’s between me and the lake and my boat. I wouldn’t expect an agency to be responsible for it,” Kirsten said.

On Saturday, he was out at Folsom Lake to talk to other boaters and hear their thoughts.

Boaters who agreed with Kirsten said boats have depth finders that will tell you if the water is too shallow, and experienced boaters know to approach with caution.

Despite the reduced speed, some boaters are choosing to see the lake half full.

More at News10.net >>>

Bike Trail, Fire, safety, Wildlife

Grass fire burns 6 acres on river parkway near Gold River

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The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District reports that crews have halted the progress of fire burning along the American River Parkway near the Gold River access.

The fire was reported at 4:27 p.m., on the south side of the American River west of the Natomas Fish Hatchery. Capt. Michelle Eidam, fire district spokeswoman, said the fire was burning in heavy vegetation, with trees torching. She said county park rangers closed the bike trail in that area due to the firefighting activity.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Boating, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake dropping, marina boats must go

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Folsom Lake levels are dropping rapidly and within a month boats at Brown’s Ravine Marina must be pulled.

Shane Hunt, spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation, said based on current estimates and operations, July releases will remain around 5,000 cubic feet per second.

“July is the highest demand for the Central Valley Project,” he said. “The reservoir releases form Folsom and Shasta are expected to be their highest this month.”

The Central Valley Project is the largest water delivery system in the country. It was devised in 1933 to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California’s Central Valley.

“We provide water to millions of acres of farmland and well over a million people,” Hunt said. “It’s a combined system of 20 dams and reservoirs that we operate to meet a multitude of demands.”

While farmers and folks and fish downstream may benefit, boaters aren’t happy about the shortened boating season on Folsom Lake.

The past several years boats were pulled in July, due to the drought.

Joe Phum, of Folsom, and his father Joseph Phum were out enjoying Folsom Lake on a recent afternoon. Phum was not pleased after learning that the lake level will be getting lower and lower in the next month, cutting the boating season short.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Firefighters contain 85 percent of Trailhead Fire

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Firefighters on Wednesday had brought the Trailhead Fire to 85 percent containment — a 60 percent increase from Independence Day.

The fire, in Placer and El Dorado counties, now covers 5,619 acres. It’s caused three injuries and threatens 2,600 buildings, though no structures have been damaged or destroyed, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The blaze, in the middle fork of the American River, near Todd Valley, began June 28. At one point over 2,100 people battled the fire, though that number had dropped by Wednesday to about 1,600.

More at TheUnion.com >>>

Fire, safety, Wildlife

Trailhead Fire Containment Grows

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The Trailhead Fire ignited on June 28 in the Middle Fork of the American River Canyon in Placer county. The fire is now burning in El Dorado County and on the Eldorado National Forest. Crews hope to have the blaze fully contained by Saturday July 09.

The fire is currently burning 5,614 acres with 75 percent containment according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Three injuries are attributed to the fire. No homes have been damaged or destroyed. All evacuations on the El Dorado County side of the fire were lifted yesterday at 5 p.m.

More at CapRadio.org >>>